Founded in 1949 in the heart of San Diego, USD has grown to become a premier institution dedicated to providing academic excellence, Catholic intellectual and social traditions, and a top-notch liberal arts education for scholars of all faiths. USD is committed to the intellectual, spiritual, and overall development of its student body.

USD’s mission captures the values that have made it a prominent Catholic university, a vibrant institution of quality higher education, and an Ashoka U Changemaker Campus.

A USD education combines the vibrancy of the liberal arts with academic rigor in a supportive learning community. USD offers a wide variety of majors and specializations, allowing students to pursue their passions. Faculty members are distinguished scholars and devoted teachers who promote an interactive learning environment.

Faculty collaborate one-on-one with undergraduate and graduate students on research, scholarship and creative activity, allowing students to experience the excitement of original discovery.

USD’s emphasis on academic excellence, intellectual rigor and global citizenship showcases our commitment to each student. USD offers the intellectual environment that will inspire you to begin shaping your future. By becoming a Torero, you are becoming part of the more than 60-year-long history of dedicated Changemakers.

Our students strive for academic excellence and take great pride in serving their communities. At USD, students learn to think critically, act globally and work collaboratively to achieve their full potential.

USD offers students endless opportunities to connect with the campus, the community, and each other. With nearly 200 clubs and organizations, countless sports and residence hall activities, guest lectures, community service opportunities and wellness programs, Toreros have every resource necessary to maximize their USD experience.

USD has an active, thriving campus community. In addition to its sublime setting — enhanced by an average 300 days of sunshine each year — USD offers students an abundance of academic programs, facilities and resources.

Even to the casual eye, it's apparent that the campus runs like a well-oiled machine, in large part due to our hard working team members, all dedicated to making sure that the USD student experience is reflective of the distinctive quality that the university is known for.

More than 1500 full-time and 750 part-time employees worked at USD in 2011, in capacities ranging from faculty to food service to administration to groundskeeper.

The USD community is comprised of many diverse individuals. To assist with the various aspects of personal and professional development, the university provides various offices, programs and services. Gateways provides links to some of the areas that might be of interest to you.

From the moment you step on our beautiful campus you can see that USD is exceptional.

As peacebuilding project officer for Catholic Relief Services (CRS) in Gulu, Uganda, Sister Pauline Acayo has helped over 2,000 formerly abducted children reintegrate into their communities through the use of mediation, psychosocial trauma counseling and traditional indigenous ceremonies. Through Acayo’s support of women peace committees in internally displaced peoples’ (IDP) camps and encouragement to participate in peace and reconciliation activities, women are gaining influential roles in northern Ugandan society. She trains women task forces and creates community forums for women to voice their views. These task forces also work in coordination with Acayo and CRS to promote reconciliation and forgiveness in communities torn apart by 20 years of war.

Throughout 2006, Acayo was instrumental in ensuring free and fair election processes. She conducted civic education sessions and pushed for greater women’s representation in government. Acayo is also coordinating civil society efforts for peacebuilding in Uganda. With the initiation of peace talks in Juba, Sudan between the Ugandan government and the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) in 2006, a large number of IDPs and refugees have returned home. Acayo is engaged with other nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) in educating the displaced communities on land rights and the land tenure system, hoping to alleviate and prevent land disputes as people return home.

With CRS and the Inter-Religious Council of Churches, Acayo coordinated a peace and reconciliation strategy workshop for senior religious leaders in Uganda and the Great Lakes region, effectively sending their voices to the Juba peace talks. Acayo was a Woman PeaceMaker at the Joan B. Kroc Institute for Peace & Justice in 2005, and will be in San Diego to receive the 2011 Outstanding Leadership Award from the Association for Conflict Resolution.